Weight Management Challenges in Nulliparous Women Being Overweight or Obese Due to Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Getting overweight after pregnancy is a common phenomenon and getting back to pre-pregnancy weight in the postpartum period is a major concern for mothers. This study aimed to explain the challenges in performing post-pregnancy weight-management behaviors in nulliparous women being overweight and obese due to pregnancy. METHODS: The present qualitative study was conducted with the conventional qualitative content analysis method based on Granheim and Landman’s approach from October to December in 2021. In this study, participants were 15 women who referred to comprehensive health service centers in Tehran, Iran; they were purposefully selected according to the inclusion criteria. Data were collected through individual, in-depth, and semi-structured face-to-face interviews and simultaneously analyzed using the MAXQ Data version 10 software. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 25.93±3.21 years. Data analysis resulted in three main categories: 1) failure to adhere to calorie-restricted diets, 2) inability to engage in physical activity, and 3) lack of adequate social support. CONCLUSION: Women with obesity due to pregnancy face many challenges to improve their weight-control behaviors. As such, improving healthy behaviors not only requires relevant stakeholders’ commitment, but also demands women, their families and communities’ intention to engage in healthy behaviors.